When it comes to the current Kansas City Royals starting rotation, Cole Ragans is likely the name most baseball fans think of. Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Kris Bubic are other starters who likely come to mind. However, 26-year-old starting pitcher Noah Cameron quietly enjoyed a strong 2025 rookie season and may be poised for a breakout 2026 campaign.

Cameron, a left-handed pitcher, has been mentioned as a regression candidate at times since he doesn't throw especially hard. Velocity is obviously important in today's game, but Cameron does a lot of things well on the mound that could lead to continued success. Before diving into the underlying numbers, let's take a look at Cameron's 2025 performance.

In 2025, Cameron pitched to a 2.99 ERA across 24 starts. He struck out 114 hitters in 138.1 innings of work. Cameron also recorded a 1.099 WHIP.

It was a successful first year in MLB for Cameron, who finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Sure, hitters will adjust to Cameron in 2026, but Cameron will surely make adjustments of his own. 

The underlying numbers do suggest that a breakout 2026 season is realistic. 

There's no question that Cameron's velocity is concerning. His fastball velocity ranked in the 20th percentile in 2025 and he had a fastball run value in the 18th percentile. With that being said, Cameron's breaking pitchers are what stand out.

He finished in the 99th percentile in breaking run value a season ago. He also finished in the 81st percentile in barrel percentage against and 73rd percentile in hard-hit percentage against.

Cameron utilizes a five-pitch mix -- which plays a crucial role in keeping batters off balance. In addition to a four-seam fastball, Cameron throws a cutter, curveball, changeup and slider. 

His changeup had a 41.1 whiff percentage in 2025. For a guy who does not generate much swing-and-miss, that kind of whiff percentage on a changeup is impressive. Meanwhile, Cameron's curveball was his primary pitch in put away situations, as the pitch had a 24.6 put away percentage.

The southpaw's ability to implement all of his pitches keeps hitters guessing at the plate. The guessing leads to plenty of soft contact. 

Sure, Noah Cameron may not be the next Tarik Skubal, but that does not mean he can't have a breakout season anytime soon. The Royals are hopeful that Cameron can take the next step in his progression in 2026.